Quick Edit | A chance for reforms

Intransigence over a joint parliamentary committee probe into the 2G scam crippled the winter session of Parliament, as the government and the opposition refused to budge from their respective positions. Indicators from an all-party meeting on Sunday tell a different story: The government appears ready to relent on the issue. This is important. Like any organization, the government needs to function within certain time frames. Delays in this functioning are all too common in India, reducing the effectiveness of governance and resulting in gross wastage of taxpayer money.

This is also an opportunity to investigate the issue thoroughly. The Supreme Court is already seized of the matter. A parliamentary probe has a wider ambit and when coupled with the judicial investigation, it should pave the way for reforms to ensure that such episodes are not repeated. This opportunity should not be wasted.